CFM's Leap Engine Begins Flight-test Program

CFM International on October 9 achieved the first flight of its new Leap engine when an example of the new turbofan took off on a modified Boeing 747 flying testbed from GE Aviation’s flight-test operations center in Victorville, Calif. The new line of turbofans is set to power the Airbus A320neo, the Boeing 737 Max and China’s Comac C919 new-generation narrowbodies. For the A320neo, the Leap 1A engine is the alternative powerplant to Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100G geared turbofan, which recently powered the A320neo’s first flight. The Leap 1B model is being developed for the 737 Max series and the Leap 1C will be used for the C919. All variants are on track for certification in 2015, said CFM.

According to CFM—a joint venture between GE Aviation and France’s Snecma—the test engine performed well in flight and completed multiple aeromechanical test points at various altitudes during the three-hour mission. Over the coming weeks testing will focus on engine operability, stall margin, performance and acoustics. The certification program will include 28 ground- and CFM flight-test engines, with an additional four flight-test engines being used for the specific Airbus, Boeing and Comac programs. All three Leap variants will fly on the 747 testbed. The configuration now being tested is the fully integrated propulsion system, specifically developed for the Leap 1C and including the nacelle and thrust reverser developed by Snecma’s Safran group sister company Nexcelle.